China bans Japanese seafood after Fukushima wastewater release

Okuma: Chinese customs authorities on Thursday announced a ban on seafood from Japan after the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started to release its first batch of treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.

According to the notice, the ban imposition will begin immediately and will affect all imports of aquatic products from Japan including seafood.

Authorities said they will dynamically adjust relevant regulatory measures as appropriate to prevent the risks of nuclear-contaminated water discharge to the health and food safety of their country.

In a statement, the Chinese foreign ministry said, “The ocean is the common property of all humanity, and forcibly starting the discharge of Fukushima’s nuclear wastewater into the ocean is an extremely selfish and irresponsible act that ignores international public interests.”

Meanwhile, the Japanese government said that the water must be released to make room for the plant’s decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks, adding that the treatment and dilution will make the wastewater safer than international standards and its environmental impact will be negligibly small.

The wastewater release started on Thursday, more than 12 years after the nuclear meltdowns in March 2011, caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami.

With inputs from agencies